Discover the wisdom of two great
teachings of Hindu meditation - in one comprehensive volume.

Yoga and Vedanta ask us to face
the problems of life through Knowledge of Reality. The ills of
life are not created by God, or by the stars, or by luck, but by
our own inability to live in the light of Reality. Good and evil
move together; one cannot be separated from the other. There is no
absolute definition of good or evil. What is good for one person
may be bad for another. The world we live in is in our own mind.

- from the Introduction

Meditation is a subject of
universal interest, practiced by spiritual explorers of all
traditions on the quest for serenity, peace, and wholeness. Among
the many traditions of meditation in Hinduism, Yoga and Vedanta have
passed the test of time, proving as vital today as they were
throughout the ages in helping us overcome the maladies of life and
attain the greatest spiritual fulfillment.
In this inspiring guidebook, Swami Adiswarananda, a senior monk of
the Ramakrishna Order of India and Spiritual Leader of the
Ramakrishna-Vivekananda Center in New York City, outlines the
subject of meditation and its practices following the methods and
teachings of these two traditions. Defining key concepts in clear
terms, Swami Adiswarananda covers every aspect of this ancient
spiritual practice, including:

Goals and Benefits of Meditation

Objects of Meditation

Methods of Concentration

Posture, Physical Condition,
Eating Habits, and Spiritual Exercises

Mystical Experiences and
Realization

Obstacles in Meditation and Ways
of Overcoming Them

From the Backside Flap

Swami Adiswarananda, a senior
monk of the Ramakrishna Order of India, is the Minister and
Spiritual Leader of the Ramakrishna-Vivekananda Center of New
York, one of the several centers of the Order in the United
States.

"Presents meditation as a
universal form of worship - the key to our true well-being and our
highest fulfillment. Swami Adiswarananda's personal qualities of
vigor, authority, and conviction will inspire readers to pursue the
spiritual adventure of meditation with determination and joy."

The complete sourcebook for exploring
Hinduism's two most time-honored traditions of meditation.

The methods of meditation in
Yoga and Vedanta do not cater to emotionalism or any form of
sentimentalism. They are precise, scientific, and psychological.
They do not measure success in meditation by the seeker's dreams
or visions, which are personal and private, but by transformation
of his or her character. Following these methods of meditation,
many have attained direct perception of truth and the fulfillment
of life.

- from the Preface

Meditation is a necessity for the
soul, a technique for withdrawing the mind so that the spirit can
rest and rejuvenate. By practicing meditation, we set in motion a
process that leads to the restoration of our well-being - physical,
mental, and spiritual.
This comprehensive sourcebook examines the scientific,
psychological, and spiritual properties of Yoga and Vedanta,
Hinduism's two mainstream meditation practices, and explains how we
can put these teachings into practice to enrich our daily lives.
Drawing on the sacred texts of yoga and Vedanta -including the
Bhagavad Gita, the Upanishads, and the Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna,
among many others - this guidebook illuminates the principles of
each of these traditions, the meaning of meditation, and the methods
by which we can develop our concentration and self-control.
By exploring the transformative powers of this ancient spiritual
practice, the inspiring volume show us time-tested ways to refresh
our souls and empower our physical and spiritual selves with
innovative ways of meeting the challenges of modern life.

"Fills a long-standing gap in the
contemporary literature on meditation. It is a most helpful
exposition of the Vedantic perspective on the inward-turning
consciousness, which covers all the important and theoretical
aspects of the meditative path."

"This book is one of the finest
works on meditation I've ever encountered. Deeply embedded in the
Hindu tradition, it is thorough, eminently practical, inspiring, and
effective. I highly recommend it."

- Brother Wayne Teasdale, author,
Bede Griffiths: An Introduction to
His Interspiritual Thought and A Monk in the World